The best SSDs in Australia: NVMe, SATA and portable drives compared
Which SSD to buy for a PC, laptop, PS5 or backup, the difference between Gen 3, Gen 4 and Gen 5 NVMe, and today's cheapest 1TB and 2TB drives at Australian stores.
In this guide
An SSD is the cheapest way to make an old computer feel new, and the easiest PC part to over-spend on. For most people, a mid-range Gen 4 NVMe drive is all the speed they'll ever notice.
Which kind of SSD?
- NVMe (M.2): the small stick that slots into a modern motherboard or laptop. The default choice for any PC from the last several years.
- SATA (2.5-inch): for older computers without an M.2 slot. Slower than NVMe but still far faster than a hard drive.
- Portable (USB): for backups and moving files. Look for USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) or faster.
Gen 3, Gen 4 or Gen 5?
NVMe drives come in PCIe generations. Gen 5 drives are dramatically faster on paper, but in games and everyday use the difference from a good Gen 4 drive is small, and Gen 5 drives run hotter and cost more. For most builds, a Gen 4 drive is the value pick. Gen 3 is fine for older systems and secondary storage.
For a PS5
The PS5 takes an M.2 NVMe SSD in its expansion slot. Sony recommends a PCIe Gen 4 drive and a heatsink (some drives include one). Check Sony's current requirements before you buy.
The most widely sold Gen 4 NVMe drives
- 1
SanDisk Optimus 5100 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$159 - 2
PNY CS2241 PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$229 - 3
Crucial E100 PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD3 stores · cheapest at PLE Computersfrom$149 - 4
Silicon Power SP Silicon Power UD85 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD, 3600MB/s Read, 2400MB/s Write - SP500GBP44UD85053 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$163 - 5
Silicon Power SP Silicon Power UD85 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD, 3600MB/s Read, 2800MB/s Write - SP01KGBP44UD85053 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$247 - 6
Silicon Power SP Silicon Power UD85 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD, 3600MB/s Read, 2800MB/s Write - SP02KGBP44UD85053 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$443 - 7
Kingston NV3 PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$159
Gen 5 NVMe drives
- 1
Samsung 9100 PRO PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD -2 stores · cheapest at JB Hi-Fifrom$443 - 2
Samsung 9100 Pro MZ-VAP1T0BW PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 Gen 5 SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$445 - 3
Samsung 9100 Pro MZ-VAP2T0BW PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 Gen 5 SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$819 - 4
Samsung 9100 Pro MZ-VAP4T0BW PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 Gen 5 SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$1,499 - 5
Crucial P510 PCIe Gen5 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$349
SATA SSDs
- 1
Kingbank KP320 2.5" SATA III SSD3 stores · cheapest at Mwavefrom$69 - 2
PNY CS900 SSD7CS900--RB 7mm 2.5 inch SATA III SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$199 - 3
Samsung 870 EVO 2.5in SATA SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$269 - 4
Samsung 870 EVO SATA III 2.5" SSD -2 stores · cheapest at PLE Computersfrom$349 - 5
ADATA ASU650SS-256GT-R SU650 2.5in SATA III SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$67 - 6
ADATA Ultimate SU650 3D NAND 2.5in SATA SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$69
Portable SSDs
- 1
Lexar SL500 Portable SSD -4 stores · cheapest at JB Hi-Fifrom$399 - 2
Samsung T7 USB 3.2 Portable SSD4 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$339 - 3
Lexar SL600 Portable SSD -3 stores · cheapest at Camera Electronicfrom$795 - 4
SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V23 stores · cheapest at digiDirectfrom$532.15 - 5
Lacie Mobile SSD Secure External SSD3 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$299 - 6
Kingston XS2000 External SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$499 - 7
Kingston XS1000 USB 3.2 Gen2 Portable External SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$245 - 8
ADATA Elite SE880 External Portable SSD2 stores · cheapest at MSYfrom$289
How much storage?
- 1TB is the realistic minimum for a gaming PC today; big games take 100GB or more each.
- 2TB is the sweet spot for price per gigabyte on many drives.
- 4TB for video editing or a large game library.
Each drive's page shows the price for every capacity, so you can see the jump from 1TB to 2TB at each store.
What else to check
- DRAM cache or HMB: drives with a DRAM cache stay fast under heavy writes; for gaming it matters less.
- Endurance (TBW) and warranty: five-year warranties are common on good drives.
- Laptop fit: most laptops take the 2280 size (22mm × 80mm); some small devices use 2230.
Where to buy
SSDs are cheapest most often at the PC specialists. See where to buy PC parts, and every drive is on the SSDs page.
